More injured as Timika fighting continues

A clash, which has lasted more than a week, between two rival groups in Kwamki Lama village in Timika district, Papua, continues on Wednesday. A man suffered from an arrow shot wound in the early morning fight.

Ayub Rumbiak (49), an employee at PT Freeport Indonesia, was shot on his right thigh at Jl. Freeport Lama as he was going to work at around 5:15 a.m. local time (3:15 a.m. Jakarta time), tempointeraktif.com has reported.

Police said the fight, a tribal war using traditional weapons, started because compensation, demanded by one tribe for a rape allegedly committed by a member of the rival tribe six months ago, remained unpaid.

Police are raiding houses on Wednesday to confiscate arrows and other sharp weapons following the incidents.

“You have hurt other people who are not involved in the fighting, it must stop. We are confiscating all arrows,” said Mimika Police deputy chief through a loud speaker in the neighborhood.

The rival groups have so far defied the police's call for an end to the violence, with one of them wanting to avenge the death of one of its members after last week's clash.

Witnesses said the police found it difficult to stop the clash until one person from the rival group was also killed.